Finally, another party

[puppy_lancer]

Characters: ProtoLancer puppy_lancer, Zero Lancer oathshackledbird and anyone interested in attending a birthday party. Details here.
Setting: Meadow
Format: Anything goes
Summary: Lancer throws his brother a party. Everyone can come except for the Archer (meaning they can come crash the party anyways)! Feel free to tag into any of the threads set up or invent your own scenario.
Warnings: None yet!

[It had taken some preparing, but the party was finally set up in a satisfactory way. There was a table for food and drink dragged in from the cafeteria, a wooden bucket filled with water with fruit floating in it, a strange paper mache Jason head pinata stacked on a scarecrow body, and a board with a pig with a Ganon head scribbled on it along with several spiraling paper "tails" attached to thumbtacks. There are no party decorations, but Lancer figures the flowers and sunshine should be decoration enough.]

[Now it's just a matter of waiting for people to show up.]

Comments

[fionnuisce]

That's probably the best course of action at the moment. But charging ahead like idiots and getting into fights we can't win isn't a possibility I particularly like. Is there any way to keep an eye on Ryoji and see who else he might be associating with?

[oathshackledbird]

Well, he is in the room with me now and we train together, but I worry about following him constantly. That might tip off those who are watching him and make things worse. Also...

[Diarmuid pause a moment to think, trying to sort out the best way to describe Ryoji to him.]

...he doesn't believe in himself very much. It is hard. He is finally starting to have a little confidence in himself. He is finally starting to believe he deserves things--things so basic as friends and family. I don't want to risk ruining that.

[Sound familiar Waver?]

[fionnuisce]

What about spirit form? Of course knowing our luck, they're sensitive to magic.

[Beat.]

So he's basically you, then.

[oathshackledbird]

Knowing what I know from the younger Sephiroth, I am sure the elder would be able to sense someone in spirit form. It would probably be better to assume anyone else who works with him can too.

[Diarmuid blushes slightly.]

He..he is like me, isn't he? Maybe that is why I care about him so much. I want him to be stronger. He deserves to be happy just as much as anyone else.

[fionnuisce]

That figures.

[Waver sighed, having expected things to make themselves difficult.]

Try to remember this conversation next time you start thinking poorly of yourself. What you want for that kid is no less than some of us want for you.

[oathshackledbird]

I...I know.

[Diarmuid pauses, seeming to think for a moment before looking up at Waver.]

Please be patient a little longer. I am trying. I don't know if this makes much sense, but I feel like something is about to change. Like maybe all my thinking about the things we have talked about is finally getting me somewhere.

Hope...it is so rare here and yet, somewhere deep inside me I almost think that is what I'm feeling. It's strange. Nothing about our situation has really changed, so where is this coming from?

[fionnuisce]

I like to imagine I'm a very patient man, Diarmuid. If I haven't punched half the Association's aristocrats by now, I must be.

At any rate, how should I know? Hope is a difficult thing to understand, and not something I have a great deal of experience with. maybe there's a reason for it, maybe not. Does it matter?

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid's expression brights.]

You must be. You haven't punched me yet either.

I guess it doesn't really matter. Sometimes, I am just too curious about things that don't matter...

[He trails off for a moment, before his eyes widen as he remembers something he had been meaning to ask Waver.]

Hey, do you remember that printing press I mentioned to you a while back?

[fionnuisce]

Of course I do. What of it?

[oathshackledbird]

Sephiroth told me he got it working not long ago. In a few days, he's going to show me how to use it. Would you like to come too? He seems to like you and I thought I remembered you showing an interest in it.

[fionnuisce]

Sure, I wouldn't mind coming along. It might be interesting.

[oathshackledbird]

Excellent. If nothing else, you two can ramble on about your fascination with magic while I work with the press.

[He laughs.]

Or you can make fun of me when the press makes me look like a fool.

[fionnuisce]

Heh. Just don't get stuck in the blasted thing and we'll be fine.

[oathshackledbird]

I'm not so worried about getting stuck in the press as I am the ink getting everywhere. From what little I know, it can be a very messy process.

[fionnuisce]

I can't say I've used one, myself. So I suppose I'll have to figure out a way to get ink stains out of one's clothes first.

[oathshackledbird]

Or at least try to remember not to wipe your hands on your clothes. Hopefully, since Sephiroth knows what he is doing now, we won't have any problems.

[He falls silent for a moment, then says softly.]

Thank you for coming. I know parties aren't really your thing...

[fionnuisce]

I've been to my share of overly formal functions. This is far more my preference than those are.

Actually, this isn't so bad at all.

[oathshackledbird]

My brother did a very good job. I am proud of him.

[Diarmuid laughs.]

I am sure that won't last long, but...

[fionnuisce]

Hey, he did something right. Enjoy it while it lasts.

[oathshackledbird]

I intend to. You do the same, all right? Who knows when we will have the chance to do this again.

[fionnuisce]

Not for a while, I'm sure. It's unfortunate, but there's nothing that can be done about it.

[oathshackledbird]

Nothing but have as much fun now as we can. And maybe drink as much tea as possible if that is your thing...

[fionnuisce]

Oh, I had Volumen Hydragyrum salvage quite a selection from the cafeteria's storage this month. And I can assure you not all of it was tea.

[oathshackledbird]

So I see that modern saying is true. Great minds do think alike.

[Since Diarmuid has every intent of doing the very same thing, though he had been thinking more about gathering tea for Mami than gathering alcohol.]

[fionnuisce]

I don't let good opportunities go to waste. And to be frank, if I didn't manage to get a drink sooner or later, I might have snapped and tried to throttle one of the administrators by hand.